fresh out the fryin pan into the fire

[ecto_gammat]

Question for everyone: What's your opinion on reading stories/fic written in second person? I know it seems to piss a lot of people off, but I'd like opinions.

Comments

[day221b]

I think it takes a lot of skill to write in second person. I was not aware it ticked people off. Of course, I'm not with the times. Sooo...yeah.

[ecto_gammat]

That's awesome ♥ Cause something I'm working on is probably going to be in second person >.>

I don't know why, but it seems to just really piss some people off, even to the point of warning that the fic was written in second person.

[tawg]

My opinion is that you should read and write whatever you want. I know people who refuse to read fic written in first person (but they'll read published trash in first person for some reason?). I don't see the point in pandering to a hypothetical readership, because if you try to sift through all the stuff that people refuse to read you don't have a lot left.

[ecto_gammat]

You're completely correct, of course. And I think this thing I'm doing works better in 2nd rather than 3rd (plus I have a harder time writing in 3rd).

[tmelange]

I think people should write what they want. That said, it is hard to get second person to work in the average story, especially if it's fanfic. If the author's goal is to get the maximum number of people to engage with the story and comment, second person is likely not the best way to go. However, from an artistic standpoint, it can be very interesting.

[ecto_gammat]

I think it'd be hard to write (and, personally, read) a 10,000 word fic all in second person, but I think it can work for something around 2,000.

[tmelange]

I agree. I also think it depends on the nature of the story. With fanfic, it's a little hard to think of and maintain a scenario where the writer is addressing "you" throughout, since it can pull the reader into the story in uncomfortable ways, even if the "you" being referenced is another character. That said, I have seen fanfic writers do this successfully. I think I read a second-person story just the other week.

[trista_zevkia]

Have to ditto what TMLange said, as she said it much better than I could. Hard to pull off, and it does make me, as a reader, read myself into the story instead of the character it is supposed to be.
2,000 word fic might work, but never, ever write porn in it.

[ecto_gammat]

Well, you know that if I get above 2,000 words in a single fic, it involves four sacrifices to many gods as well as several hours chanting to the Great Cthulhu (Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn). And if I ever actually manage to write porn, the Mariana trench will swallow us whole.